After spending the night in L'Anse au Clair, I hopped into Sandy’s van and was zipped off to Dot’s Bakery and Coffee Shop for breakfast. I had a great breakfast sandwich and then bought some banana bread for the road (it was a good thing too as you will see later).
Our first official stop was in L'Anse au Loup (or Wolf Bay – so close to being a Doctor Who reference) at the Labrador Straits Academy. There I presented for the grade fives and sixes. We had a great deal of fun making up a historical drama about a Sheshatshiu woman who’s long hair can’t be cut due to a cursed flower she picked. It turned out that a sasquatch had created the curse to make her look more like him so that he could have a friend to play checkers with. After a bunch of misunderstandings and some magic (and poking dead people with a stick because that is evidently how one does first aid) the sasquatch was accepted by the tribe and shaved down so he could be more human. He even made a friend to play checkers with.
While I was at the school I got a tour of the whole thing. The school has all the grades from K-12. Not all the high school classes are available in the building so there is a remote learning room with computers. The music room was amazing, and all the kids were awesome. They also have a thing for sharks. AND I saw my first live iceberg. Actually I saw a whole bunch of them. They are very impressive in real life.
While I was at the school I got a tour of the whole thing. The school has all the grades from K-12. Not all the high school classes are available in the building so there is a remote learning room with computers. The music room was amazing, and all the kids were awesome. They also have a thing for sharks. AND I saw my first live iceberg. Actually I saw a whole bunch of them. They are very impressive in real life.
I didn’t have much time to stick around though, we had to rush to get to the next school in Red Bay called Basque Memorial School. This was also a K-12 school, but unlike Labrador Straights – Basque only had 17 students (and only one high schooler). Using all the students (not all 17 were in attendance) we made up a story about a dragon who liked to paint but was lacking inspiration and a poet who really didn’t want to provide the dragon with inspiration by being eaten. Although one human was sacrificed in the end, the story had a happy ending as the dragon started doing illustrations for the poet’s writing. Together they made thousands of dollars on the poems (this was a fantasy story after all).
Red Bay is an old whaling town. It still has some of the old whaling buildings. The Basque were the ones who settled the place. Red Bay is still home to fishermen, but they also take part in the tourist industry.
Red Bay is an old whaling town. It still has some of the old whaling buildings. The Basque were the ones who settled the place. Red Bay is still home to fishermen, but they also take part in the tourist industry.
Then I had only minutes to hop back in the van to head off to St. Mary’s All Grade in Mary’s Harbour. We drove over lunch – and I was really glad I had some banana bread to munch on. We arrived with minutes to spare and I got to work setting up. As usual all the kids wanted to see Red Robin. He’s always the first thing they ask for. The kids were really interested in my books and had questions about them before we got started with the presentation.
All the kids in the school (except the lone kindergartener who only went to school in the morning) came into the gym. There were probably around 70 kids or so. We made up a story about a girl who was looking for a guy but was being plagued by her ex-boyfriend. After his many failed attempts to get her to marry him, the girl decided that she really didn’t need a man and went off to start a dancing Ski-doo show. (The girl with the camera only took video, so I don't have any pictures to share of this school).
These kids had obviously been looking at the website. They knew exactly what books they wanted and it didn’t matter to them that I was sold out of many of the titles. We just made an order list and I promised to sign and send them the books when I got home. They bought me out of the books I had left.
After that it was a quick stop for lunch and then we were off again headed down some incredibly potholed gravel roads on the way to Cartwright. We traveled over 400 kilometers and for over 6 hours in the day. I was instructed, as I was the passenger, that it was my duty to look out for moose. Running into one is a real danger out here. I kept my eyes peeled and was both hoping and terrified to see one. Things became particularly dodgy when the clock ticked past six PM. Evidently the most moose hits happen between six PM and two AM. Luckily we made it to Cartwright without an incident.
Cartwright is a small fishing village. We arrived with a cold north wind spreading the scent of wood smoke. Many people around here heat their homes with wood. They had some ice fishing huts on the bay. Our motel is right on the bay, which is really cool. Sadly the hotel burnt down a couple of years ago. It used to be the hub of the community and lots of the locals worked there. They told me it had the best food in town. Now, without it there is only the small motel and the bar to get supper at. They do have a grocery store but it was closed when we arrived. We had some supper at the bar but I’m really glad I have that banana bread now as the bar doesn’t open again until 4:00 PM tomorrow.
I’m really looking forward to visiting my last school, Henry Gordon Academy. I’m a little sad I won’t have any books to show them. I had to make a best guess when ordering books and I ordered too few. I am actually really excited to meet these kids. I met one of the moms at the bar and she was telling me that her son started an anime club. I guess there’s a bunch of kids who are right into anime and video games. I think we’ll get along famously.
Sadly though, I can’t get the internet to work (which is why this is late) and I can’t get any phone signal either. I’m going for a walk tomorrow, hopefully I’ll be able to pick up a signal somewhere and shoot a message home. I don’t want them to worry!
Here’s another silly Robin picture to hold you over until the next blog.
All the kids in the school (except the lone kindergartener who only went to school in the morning) came into the gym. There were probably around 70 kids or so. We made up a story about a girl who was looking for a guy but was being plagued by her ex-boyfriend. After his many failed attempts to get her to marry him, the girl decided that she really didn’t need a man and went off to start a dancing Ski-doo show. (The girl with the camera only took video, so I don't have any pictures to share of this school).
These kids had obviously been looking at the website. They knew exactly what books they wanted and it didn’t matter to them that I was sold out of many of the titles. We just made an order list and I promised to sign and send them the books when I got home. They bought me out of the books I had left.
After that it was a quick stop for lunch and then we were off again headed down some incredibly potholed gravel roads on the way to Cartwright. We traveled over 400 kilometers and for over 6 hours in the day. I was instructed, as I was the passenger, that it was my duty to look out for moose. Running into one is a real danger out here. I kept my eyes peeled and was both hoping and terrified to see one. Things became particularly dodgy when the clock ticked past six PM. Evidently the most moose hits happen between six PM and two AM. Luckily we made it to Cartwright without an incident.
Cartwright is a small fishing village. We arrived with a cold north wind spreading the scent of wood smoke. Many people around here heat their homes with wood. They had some ice fishing huts on the bay. Our motel is right on the bay, which is really cool. Sadly the hotel burnt down a couple of years ago. It used to be the hub of the community and lots of the locals worked there. They told me it had the best food in town. Now, without it there is only the small motel and the bar to get supper at. They do have a grocery store but it was closed when we arrived. We had some supper at the bar but I’m really glad I have that banana bread now as the bar doesn’t open again until 4:00 PM tomorrow.
I’m really looking forward to visiting my last school, Henry Gordon Academy. I’m a little sad I won’t have any books to show them. I had to make a best guess when ordering books and I ordered too few. I am actually really excited to meet these kids. I met one of the moms at the bar and she was telling me that her son started an anime club. I guess there’s a bunch of kids who are right into anime and video games. I think we’ll get along famously.
Sadly though, I can’t get the internet to work (which is why this is late) and I can’t get any phone signal either. I’m going for a walk tomorrow, hopefully I’ll be able to pick up a signal somewhere and shoot a message home. I don’t want them to worry!
Here’s another silly Robin picture to hold you over until the next blog.
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